Best Friend's Brother
by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds
Summary: ReaderXByakuya. You and Rukia are best friends, you never really saw her older brother as anything more than her older brother, but can one sleepover and a scary run-in with a classmate change all that? AU. You and Rukia are juniors in high school, Byakuya is 25. Hope the eight(ish) year age difference doesn't weird anyone out. Enjoy ladies. Complete but not uploading all at once.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, _," Rukia chirped, catching up to you in the hallway, "do you want to come over for a sleepover after school?"

You shift your bag and tuck a strand of hair behind your ears as your eyes light up. "I'd love to Rukia! Let me just call my driver and ask him to bring me some things to wear"

"That's okay!" Rukia smiled, "we're about the same size"

You snort and study your petite friend, "anything on you will be two inches shorter on me," you point out, looking at your shapely legs.

"Exactly!" Rukia's violet eyes glimmer in delight and you raise an eyebrow "tell your driver he doesn't have to pick you up!" she grinned, "meet at the big tree after school?"

"Okay," you laugh at your best friend's excitement. "I'll see you then"

"Bye _!" Rukia darts off to her next class leaving you standing in the hall, amusedly watching her go. With a sigh, you head to your locker. You get lost in your thoughts. Rukia came into your life when you were both in middle school. Middle of sixth grade to be exact. You both came from noble families and connected through a shared loneliness.

Rukia's parents and older sister died in a freak fire when she was a toddler leaving her with her grandfather and older brother Byakuya, who, from what you had picked up on, was not the warm and fuzzy older brother type. You still had your parents, but they were so busy with their jobs and their social lives that you grew up in the loving care of your maid, seeing your parents only rarely. Sometimes you felt more like a new accessory than a daughter.

Growing up had been lonely, most people were either intimidated by your status in society or wanted to befriend you for all the wrong reasons. Your best friend from childhood, one Yoruichi Shihoin, moved away in third grade, leaving you with a gaping hole of loneliness. When Rukia approached you in the hallway in sixth grade, introducing herself and tentatively asking what your schedule was, you felt that hole closing bit by bit. She brought you out of your shell and you blossomed. Now, both juniors in high school and you've been best friends ever since. You smile and the bell rings. Glancing at the clock, panic fills you.

"I'm gonna be late!" you tell no one in particular, grabbing your books and slamming your locker shut as you run to your next class.

… … …

The rest of the day passes by in a blur. You're excited for tonight. Spending the night with Rukia was always fun. You would watch movies, from sappy romantic dramas to blood-filled horror movies and a mix of everything in between depending what mood you guys are in. You throw popcorn at the TV and when the two of you are at your manor and your parents are gone, you use the manor for a massive pillow fight. One night you even roasted marshmallows in Rukia's backyard, until the housekeeper panicked because the two of you weren't in the Kuchiki Manor. Not to mention it was the weekend and sometimes you would go back and forth between houses.

As the final bell of the day rings, you can barely contain your excitement. You bounce to your feet and tear out the door, colliding with a handsome young man. Your face flushes in embarrassment when you realize who it is. Sosuke Aizen, _the _senior and the heartthrob of every girl in the school. Even though you find him highly attractive, for some reason you don't trust him and you can't figure out why. "Sorry, Aizen-senpai," you bow slightly in apology, "I wasn't watching where I was going"

"Oh, that's okay _-san," he smiles warmly and even though your heart flutters, there's that tiny sliver of suspicion in the back of your mind. "You're not hurt are you?"

"No," you hug your bag to your side, "I'm fine, thanks for asking though," you smile before remembering why you were in such a hurry in the first place. "Oh, I'm in a bit of a hurry," you say hastily, "again, sorry for my clumsiness, I'll look next time," you let out a laugh and dart around him. "Have a good weekend Aizen-senpai"

"Same to you _-san"

You hurry out the doors to see Rukia had beat you to the tree you were meeting under. "Sorry, sorry," you apologize playfully, "I ran into someone…literally"

Rukia giggles, "oh _, you need to be more careful! Who did you run into?"

You flush slightly, "of all people I could collide with, none other than Sosuke Aizen," you laugh and Rukia's violet eyes widen.

"Only you _," she giggles, "only you…oh," she stands on her tiptoes, gaining a few millimeters in nothing but ridiculousness, "there's my driver," she takes your hand and tugs you to the sleek black car, "what do you wanna do when we get to my house?" she asks excitedly as the two of you slide into the backseat of the car.

"How about we get something to eat?" you suggest as the car starts moving. "I'm starving!"

"I think the cook made rice dumplings!" Rukia said with a smile, "I love rice dumplings," you shake your head, remembering a dumpling eating contest the two of you participated in at a fair once. You got sick after about thirteen, but tiny little Rukia won the contest by eating _forty-five dumplings_. "Oh and my brother's home so we have to be quieter than normal," you nod, thinking about the older Kuchiki. He was eight or nine years your senior, quiet, handsome and composed. At twenty-five, he was already CEO of Kuchiki Enterprises. A part of you thought he was a pompous ass, but the other part of you could get lost in his gorgeous eyes. You nod as Rukia says something and the car pulls into the circular driveway of the Kuchiki Manor.

Neither you nor Rukia encountered Byakuya as you guys bounded up the stairs to her large room. "Are we going to sleep in here or the den?" you ask, tossing your backpack in the corner and tugging loose the tie of your school uniform, unbuttoning the top few buttons of your shirt and pulling it loose from the skirt. Rukia tosses you a pair of pajamas. You blush. "Rukia?" you ask, holding up the shorts, "are you sure these are even legal length?" you tease. Rukia grins mischievously at the short fuzzy Soffes. You study them, they're definitely _shorts_. Rolling your eyes you toss them on the bed with the grey tank top. You're more well-endowed than Rukia and the lacy, silky sleeping tank will undoubtedly draw attention to that.

"We'll sleep in the den," your friend sing-songs, pulling out a pair of Chappy pajamas. "Come on," she grins, "let's eat!"

… … …

You shriek with laughter, "Rukia!" you wail, "my uniform is all wet!" you shake your sopping hair out of your face as your petite friend crows with laughter. You grab a bucket and slowly advance on her from behind. Dumping it on her head, drenching her to the skin, she shrieks.

"_! That was mean!" she laughed.

"Turnabout's fair play dear," you tease, dodging the spray from her hose and directing the nozzle of yours at her. With an 'oof', you feel the stream hit you in the chest and face, knocking you backwards, "eeeyahh!" you wail as you lose control of your hose and it attacks you, "the hose! It's drowning me!" Rukia's cackling and suddenly you feel the water shut off. You're dripping wet, lying on your back, panting and laughing.

Suddenly you hear Rukia gasp and you look at her. She's staring somewhere off to your left. You sit up, following her gaze and flush a bright red as you see the person standing by the faucet.

"Nii-sama," Rukia bows, "I hope we weren't being too loud," you struggle to your feet, the hose falling with a quiet thump to your feet.

"Sorry Byakuya-sama," you bow as well, "I didn't realize we were being so noisy," you feel his intense gaze on you and suddenly you feel self-conscious and slightly immature. Tucking a strand of thick, wet hair behind your ear, you look at him through thick eyelashes and realize you are wearing a _white dress shirt _that was currently soaked through with water. You cross your arms across your chest and fight back the blush. His grey-violet eyes linger on you for a brief minute, sending searing hot prickles along your now-cold skin.

"Just keep it down," he says in a monotone before turning around and disappearing into the house.

You and Rukia exchange a glance and begin giggling quietly. Soon the giggles turn into full-blown laughter and the two of you are rolling on the ground, clutching your stomachs, the intense gaze a distant memory as you grin at your best friend.

"Come on," she says, catching her breath, "let's get changed," you let out a laugh as you follow her into the manor. The cook is laughing as you guys pass her by.


	2. Chapter 2

You pad into the den, a large, spacious room, with a long, comfortable sofa and a big TV. Dropping a round of pillows onto it, you breathe out a sigh and drop onto one of the cushions. "Hey lazy butt," you feel a mass of fabric land on your face and you bolt up, sending the fluffy blankets to the ground, "there's still more to bring," you mock-groan and follow the petite taskmaster back up the stairs and into her room where she promptly loads you with enough pillows to supply a small army. You can't see over the top but you know this house well enough…you let out a sharp cry as you misjudge your step and tumble down the stairs.

Fortunately, the pillows cushioned your fall…mostly. You groan and open your eyes to see a pair of feet. Following the feet upwards, you almost groan again as you realize Byakuya is staring down at you, eyes impassive.

"_?!" you hear Rukia call, "I heard a thump. Are you okay?!" you hear her footsteps in the distance.

"Peachy," you wince and sit up, holding a hand to your head as the world spins when you get to your knees. Suddenly, you feel a pair of warm hands helping you to stand, supporting you. Now you're unsure whether the pounding in your head is from the fall or from the heat radiating from those hands. Even once you're standing, the hands linger for a moment longer than necessary. "Thank you," you whisper.

"Be more careful next time," he says monotonously, his face imperturbable. You blush and nod as Rukia rounds the corner.

Her violet eyes widen in dismay, "oh _, are you okay?"

You smile reassuringly, feeling the headache dissipating, "I only saw stars for a second," you joke weakly as Rukia begins helping you pick up the pillows. You can still feel the tingle of his hands where he supported you as he helped you stand. You had never given much thought to his hands but now that you did. You find yourself surprised at the fact that they were so warm.

"What's on your mind?" Rukia asks as you guys bring down the last of the pillows and blankets.

You smile, "I was just thinking how we have enough pillows here to make a pretty nice pillow fort," you felt a bit guilty about lying to your best friend, but figure it's better than telling her you were thinking about her older brother's hands. You weren't sure how she'd react and Rukia would always come first. _Why am I thinking that I would have to choose one over the other? _you shake your head and grin as Rukia enthusiastically goes on about making a pillow fort.

You can still feel where his hands were on you.

… … …

"Ohh _, you should let me do your make-up!"

You eye Rukia a bit warily, you don't really wear a lot of make-up, but you're not against it. "Alright," you sigh, her shining violet eyes winning you over.

"Great!" she pulls out a large make-up kit _when did she bring that down? _Rukia smiles and opens it up, revealing a large color palette and at least twenty different mascaras and eyeliners. You begin to wonder what you got yourself into as she commands you to close your eyes. But you obey.

"Done!" you hear her chirp.

You realize you had almost fallen asleep and open up your eyes to see yourself in the mirror. Your jaw drops. "Is that really me?" you whisper. Your eyes are enhanced by the soft, sweeping eyeshadow in neutral tones. She lined them with a charcoal eyeliner-that particular moment had you very nervous-and your already thick lashes were lengthened by skillfully applied mascara. The make-up technique itself was flawless, you look gorgeous. "How did you learn to do this?" you ask, staring in awe.

Rukia grins, "you like?" you nod, "Rangiku taught me how," she says, naming one of the seniors, a gorgeous blonde that had the majority of the male population drooling over her. "She said make-up would really enhance my features, whatever she meant by that"

You smile and the person in the mirror smiles back. You can't get over how beautiful you look, "I won't be quite as skilled," you say, "but would you want me to do yours?" at Rukia's answering smile you feel a bit more confident and pick up the make-up brush. Deciding to go for a greyish palette, you begin to, rather clumsily, apply the eyeshadow.

"Done," you put the brush down and hold up the mirror. You think you did a pretty good job. It's not quite as flawless as Rukia's job, but it doesn't look like you learned in a clown school either. Silently thanking the genius who invented cold cream, you hesitantly wait for Rukia's reaction.

Her violet eyes light up and she smiles, "not bad!" you smile in relief, "let's watch a movie!"

"What do you feel like?" you ask her as she logs onto Netflix.

She scrolls through the movies and grins as she stops on one called 'The Awakening'. "Let's watch this one," she smiles wickedly. You make a face, pretending to be scared. Rukia hits play and the two of you curl against the pillows and blankets. Halfway through the movie, you realize it's quite a bit scarier than you thought. You and Rukia jump as a door slams in the movie. She pauses it. "I'm hungry…come on, let's get ice cream and popcorn," she whispers.

"Scared to go alone?" you tease as you follow her into the darkened hallway. She swallows and nods. As the two of you make your way to the kitchen, you hear a loud sound from behind you. You let out muffled screams and cling to each other for dear life, staring wide-eyed in the direction of the sound

A grey cat rushes past you and you hear Rukia breathe a sigh of relief. "Stupid Senbonzakura," she murmurs, "giving us heart attacks, come on"

"What are the two of you doing?" the lights flick on and the two of you scream loudly, clinging tighter to each other. You swear your heart was about to overload from the terror. You and Rukia look at the person standing in the doorway and the adrenaline crash causes you to burst into weak laughter, limbs trembling. Rukia soon joins you. Byakuya just stares emotionlessly as the two of you tremble with laughter and the sudden weakness that comes from a heart-stopping scare.

You gain your composure first and drop into a chair for fear your jelly legs won't support you much longer, "I'm sorry Byakuya-sama," you murmur, looking up at him, "we thought you were…" you trail off, uncertain what was going through your mind in the darkened hall.

"That I was…?" he prompts and you shake your head.

Rukia catches her breath and sits on the chair next to you, "we're watching a scary movie nii-sama…" she says, violet eyes glittering, "the hallway was dark and Sen came out of nowhere, scaring us…and then you turned on the lights…" she shakes her head.

You laugh, "I guess we just let our imaginations run away with us," Rukia nods in agreement.

"Hey nii-sama," she smiles, "why don't you watch it with us?"

"I do not watch horror movies"

"Scared?" you tease, before realizing that you're talking to _Byakuya _not Rukia, "sorry," you bite back a chuckle.

One elegant eyebrow arches and you feel his gaze on you again. You get goosebumps for an entirely different reason than the movie. "Is that a challenge _?" he says quietly. You hesitate for a brief moment, before throwing caution to the wind.

"I don't know…did you take it as one?" you counter, eyes flickering. His eyebrow goes a little further.

"Very well," he says, "I will watch with you," he turns on his heel. "Do not forget the ice cream"

When you're sure he's gone, you and Rukia exchange a glance before giggling. "Well Miss Kuchiki," you tease, "don't forget the ice cream"

"Oh hush," she prods you in the spine as the two of you set about carrying everything to the den. When you get back, you find Byakuya has already set up a table in front of the couch. Rukia pushes you down next to him and rewinds the movie. You settle against the couch and curl your legs beneath you as the movie starts again.

… … …

Even though you've already seen the first half once, you can't help but jump each time something startles you. When you see a demon pop onto the screen, Rukia squeals in fear and jumps in your lap, catching you by surprise. Her momentum sends you falling, and you find yourself being caught by Byakuya once again. You look up at him, his grey-violet eyes meet yours and for the first time, you catch a glimpse of a fleeting emotion in them that makes your face heat up.

You turn back to the movie. Rukia doesn't seem like she's going to move any time soon, keeping you pressed against her brother. The movie is the last thing on your mind as you feel his hands settle on your hips. _It's the only place that his hands can go _you rationalize _I'm too in the way for anything else_. Despite your attempt at rationalizing, you can't help but think about how nice his hands feel against you.

_What is my fascination with his hands?_

… … …

Once the movie was over, Rukia played the next title. One called 'First Floor'. Once the group stepped foot in the elevator, you shivered. "Elevators," you murmur in disgust, "everything bad happens in elevators"

"Scared?" you hear an almost teasing whisper in your ear, breath stirring several strands of hair. You fight back a shiver and realize he's throwing your words back in your face. You turn and realize just how close your faces are. Swallowing the nerves building up you smile.

"As if," you murmur. Byakuya raises one dark eyebrow and you find your pulse picking up speed. You turn back to the movie and groan, "old ladies are worse," you mumble under your breath. You feel his hands tighten slightly around your waist and you bite back a gasp and fix your attention on the movie.

As it ends you frown and Rukia laughs, "you were right!" she laughs.

"About?" you question, realizing Rukia pulled away from you, leaving you free to pull away from being pinned to Byakuya. You can't understand why a sliver of disappointment fills you.

"It's always the old lady," she laughs, "I don't remember what movie it was we were watching but you were right…it's _always_ the old lady"

"Or the butler," Byakuya intones.

You shrug, "anymore though they're trying to back away from that I think…the butler is too obvious now"

"You could argue the same about the old lady," he points out and you can't help but wonder if you're imagining the petulant tone in his voice.

"And when the old lady becomes too obvious they'll find someone else," you say, "it's a vicious cycle," you grab one of the spoons in the ice cream tub and lift it to your mouth, assuming it was either yours or Rukia's. The two of you shared food often enough it didn't matter.

"That was mine by the way," Byakuya idly commented, freeing another spoon from it's frozen prison and holding it up, "this is yours," you freeze, spoon still hanging in your mouth as you process what exactly just happened. An indirect kiss. You fight down the rising blush.

"Sorry," you take the spoon out of your mouth, "I doubt you want it back now," you did blush. What he did next surprised you to no end. He nonchalantly shrugged and actually used your original spoon. _He's too mature to see it as a big deal _you shake yourself and nod, dipping the spoon you were currently holding back into the ice cream and nudging Rukia. "Geez," you mumble, "you always fall asleep so early!" you gently throw a blanket over her.

Byakuya raises an eyebrow, "are you not tired?"

"Too much sugar I guess," you laugh, knowing full well the reason behind your alertness is the fact that this night seems so surreal. In all honesty, you had never thought about Rukia's older brother beyond the fact that he was Rukia's older brother. The one you and Rukia used to hide from in the linen closet after he had caught you sneaking cookies, he had even helped you once when you were struggling with algebra. Albeit because Rukia had given up and decided to draw bunnies in her notebook instead.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

You look up in surprise, meeting his gaze. As always, it doesn't give much away. You blink. "I would…" you glance at Rukia, "but I'd feel guilty leaving Rukia…if she wakes up and I'm not here she may think something bad has happened," you think you see disappointment flash in his eyes but it's so fast you're not certain it's just wishful thinking.

"I understand," he stood up, "I bid you goodnight," he walked over to the door but before he left, he paused, "you are a loyal friend. Goodnight _," he disappeared from the room like a ghost, leaving you staring after him.

"Goodnight Byakuya-sama," you murmur to the quiet room, save for Rukia's snuffling snores.


	3. Chapter 3

You stretch. This time you wake up in your own bed. You sigh and rub your eyes. Glancing at the clock, you realize you still have an hour before you have to get up to get ready for school. Snuggling back into your fluffy pillows, you think back to the weekend. You had spent Friday night at Rukia's and she had spent Saturday night at your house. That Friday had been almost surreal. You weren't certain whether you dreamed it. You had checked your hips, because they still tingled occasionally. Right where his hands were.

_Hands…_

Suddenly your alarm blares and you shriek. You didn't even realize you'd dozed off. Stretching, you wandered to the adjoining bathroom and tossed your shirt into the corner. The cook always had breakfast ready when you went downstairs and you could smell it from your room so you hurried through your morning routine, clipping back some flyaway hairs with a headband. You check your hips one more time, nothing amiss. A slight frown settles over your face. If only you had proof everything happened and it wasn't just some elaborate dream. Your stomach startles you and you realize the delicious breakfast smells are wafting through the manor. Forgetting your train of thought, you go in search of food.

… … …

School drags by agonizingly slow. Maybe it's just because it's Monday and you know you have to put up with this for a whole week. Sighing, you begin to doodle. You're naturally smart, but because everything usually comes easy to you, you find you don't have to work at it. The only thing you really struggle with is math. Whoever thought combining the alphabet with numbers obviously had a grudge against the human race. Even alphabet soup avoided doing that.

You sigh again and glance at your 'idle' drawings. Eyes widening, you quickly start to erase.

_Why did I draw hands? _

Your head hits the table. "Miss _," the teacher says, "I do hope I'm not boring you," his amber eyes flicker dangerously behind his glasses and you distantly think that Byakuya's eyes are much more enchanting.

"Sorry Mr. Granz," you fake a cough, "I'm just not feeling very well"

You can tell he doesn't believe you by the way his eyes narrow. "Maybe you should go to the nurse," he said, the undertone in his voice telling you it wasn't a suggestion. You meekly gather your stuff and walk out the door.

"Ah, _-san," you look behind you to see Sosuke Aizen walking towards you. You can feel the glares from the other girls as Aizen approaches you, a warm smile on his features. You feel your guard go up.

"Aizen-senpai," you say, "did you need something?"

He smiles, the light glinting off his glasses and sending up your hackles, although you can't help but admit he's quite attractive. "Yes, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the football game with me this Friday"

"Aren't you in the band?" you raise an eyebrow.

He nods, "but this game I won't be playing…I sprained my wrist, it's a little difficult to play drums with a sprained wrist"

You weigh the options and come to the best conclusion. "I'll have to think about it," you smile warmly, "I may have obligations on Friday"

Aizen nods again and ruffles his hair, "I completely understand," he waves, "let me know by Thursday?"

"Sure," you bow slightly, "but I'm afraid I must go," you excuse yourself and hurry away, ducking into the girl's bathroom. You find yourself slammed into the wall and gasp.

"Stay away from Aizen-sama bitch," you look up to see two of the school sluts. Loly and Menoly, standing in front of you.

You wince at the pain in your shoulder, "he's yours," you say, "I don't want him," the blonde slaps you and you wince more.

"Don't insult Aizen-sama!" she shrieks, her voice grates on your nerves and you fight an eye roll.

"Wouldn't dream of it," you sigh, "can I go now? I promise I'll stay away from _Aizen-sama_," your voice drips with sarcasm and the girl with black pigtails looks about ready to hit you when the door opens. One of the teachers steps in, her green eyes knowing.

"Don't you have class ladies?" Kushira Ukitake says calmly. Something about the warm, friendly aura she radiates tends to cow students, Loly and Menoly were no exception.

"Yes sensei," they mumble and slink out of the bathroom, but not before shooting you glares. You roll your eyes.

Kushira sighs and fixes you with a gentle gaze, "_," she says your name, "if they continue to bother you, please come talk to me," she smiles warmly, "I was in high school once too, girls can be vicious"

"You're telling me," you mumble, rubbing your shoulder.

"Do you need to go to the nurse?" she asks you worriedly.

You smile and shake your head, "thank you Ukitake-sensei"

She laughs, "that's my husband," she shakes her head, "Kushira-sensei is fine," she makes her way over to the sink and regards you warmly. You don't have her as a teacher, but she's widely regarded as one of the easiest and friendliest teachers to talk to. You take a deep breath.

"Kushira-sensei," you begin, "can I ask you something?" she nods and leans against the sink. You worry your lip, "I know someone…I wouldn't call him a friend, he's more an acquaintance…anyways, I don't trust him…" you sigh, "but I don't know why…well, he asked me on a date of sorts…there's nothing _openly _wrong with him, he's popular, sweet, and really good-looking, I just don't trust him"

Green eyes glittered and you get the feeling she knows more than she lets on. "Trust your instinct," she says, pushing off the sink, "you're a smart girl, and a woman's intuition is rarely ever wrong," she pushes a stray red strand out of her face, "if you don't trust him then don't risk it…of course, it's up to you what you decide to do, but my advice would be to decline"

You nod, her answer settled your internal debate. "Thanks Kushira-sensei," you bow and she laughs quietly.

"You're a good girl," she says, patting your shoulder as she leaves the bathroom, "you'll do the right thing for you," she smiles at you and the door shuts behind her, leaving you to dwell on your thoughts. Her answer also stirred up another question.

_Is my instinct right about Byakuya?_

... … …

Thursday rolled around quicker than you expected. With a sigh, you catch up to Aizen in the hallway.

"Ah, _-san," he smiles, "did you make up your mind?"

"Yeah," you smile back, "I'm going to have to decline. I just don't feel comfortable saying yes right now, but it was sweet of you to ask," you offer by way of apology. You see something flash in his brown eyes, something evil, and a thrill of fear roots your feet to the ground. In a moment, it's gone.

"You're the first girl to turn me down," he says with a warm laugh, scratching the back of his neck, "but that's okay, I'll see you around _-san," he waves and walks around you. You're still rooted to the spot.

"_?" you hear Rukia ask distantly, "are you okay?" you frown, remembering the downright malicious flash in eyes.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" you ask. Rukia nods, looking at you strangely. "I'll tell you tonight," your feet start to work again and you walk to your next class in a bit of a daze. A part of you wonders whether listening to your intuition is going to get you killed this time around.

… … …

"Really?" Rukia sits there, stunned, "Sosuke Aizen?" you nod.

"I was scared Rukia," you murmur, "I don't get scared often…not genuinely afraid like that…" you shiver.

Rukia frowns, "_, that's not good," she pushes the mug of tea towards you. You're both so absorbed in your conversation, you don't notice Byakuya pause in his writing until you feel his intense stare on you. Your skin prickles again, not the same way it prickles around Aizen, the way it prickles around Byakuya is not entirely unpleasant. "You can stay here if you need to"

You smile at your best friend gratefully, "thanks Rukia," you pull her into a hug, "I thought for sure he was going to kill me right there," you laugh nervously. Rukia nods sympathetically and offers to get you more tea. Once she leaves the room, you feel slender fingers wrap around your wrist and your senses go haywire as you look into the very eyes that have been haunting your thoughts as of late.

"If you ever feel like you are in danger," he says calmly, gripping your wrist tightly, "do not hesitate to come to me," you blink in surprise, but a gentle smile crosses your features.

"Thank you," you dip your head slightly, "you and your sister are too kind, I'm glad I have you guys as my friends" something flickers in his grey-violet eyes and you can't tell whether it was disappointment or relief. He releases your wrist and returns to his desk, moments before Rukia returns.

… … …

The next day in school, you feel oddly worried, like something bad is going to happen. You contemplate finding Kushira-sensei and asking her for more advice, but you figure she has better things to do than play counselor.

You find yourself walking towards your house, your driver had called and said the tires were flat and Rukia had to leave early, a root canal required her attention. You said you could walk, your place wasn't that far. Halfway through your trek, you feel a painfully tight grip on your wrist and you find yourself slammed into the wall with bruising force. The wind is knocked out of your lungs and you look into a pair of brown eyes radiating a cold anger.

"I don't like being refused," Aizen says calmly, with a razor undertone, "especially not by girls"

A smart reply escapes you. You have no idea what's going to happen and genuine terror floods you. You realize he pulled you into a nearby alley and you wonder what he's going to do. Suddenly, you feel the hard crush of his lips against yours, bruising your lips. You struggle to free yourself but he only presses against you harder. You cry out in pain and he forces his tongue into your mouth. You bite down. He pulls away, brown eyes murderous.

"A very stupid move," he says casually, as though he's discussing the weather, "you never struck me as being stupid," his hands find the front of your shirt and you suddenly realize what he plans to do. "This'll teach you to reject me," he says, eyes narrowing, "scream and you will regret it," he tears at your shirt, ripping it. You bite your lip, fighting back tears and all you can do is close your eyes and pray it's over quickly.

The weight was abruptly lifted off you and you opened your eyes. Aizen was picking himself up from the ground. "You will not touch her," a familiar voice spoke, the cold tone even caused you to shiver, "now get out of my sight before I do something you will regret," Aizen looks askance at you before calmly standing up. He regarded the man before him and quickly realized this was not an opponent he wanted to challenge. A sneer crosses his lips as he walks away without a word.

You watch the whole scene, eyes wide. When you see Aizen leave, you sink to the concrete ground. Byakuya kneels down next to you and gently drapes his jacket around you. You look at him, dazed, until everything catches up to you. Tears fall down your cheeks and you begin to cry in relief. Byakuya wraps his arms around you and pulls you against him. You lean into the warmth and safety of his strong form as you cry. His hand gently strokes through your hair, offering wordless comfort.

"Are you alright?" he murmurs. You look up at him and nod. He gently wipes his thumb along your bottom lip and you realize it was bleeding. Again, you comprehend just how close things could have ended differently and you begin to tremble. He tightens his grip around you, picking you up bridal style and carrying you to the car. Once you find your voice again, you look into his grey-violet eyes.

"Thank you," you manage to gasp out, "you saved me…" you tense and he holds you closer, "if you hadn't come along…"

"Hush," he holds a finger to your lips and you obey his single, gentle command. You rest your head on his shoulder and breathe in his scent as your eyes slip closed.

… … …

You wake up, surprised, and slightly embarrassed that you had fallen asleep. You stretch and sit up. You're unfamiliar with the room you're in. It's very large and simple with a definite ancient Japanese feel to it.

"How are you feeling?" you look up to see Byakuya standing in the doorway. You blush slightly, and nod.

"Better," you fiddle with the hem of the blanket. "Thank you," you whisper again, "if you hadn't shown up when you did…" he gently holds a finger to your lips and sits on the edge of the bed.

"It is over now," he runs his hand through your hair and you shiver at the feel of his fingers against your scalp. You close your eyes and feel him press his forehead against yours. Opening your eyes, you meet his violet grey eyes. You're arrested by the emotion in his gaze.

You press your lips against his and he tenses before pulling away. You blink, confused. _Did I misread him? Was my intuition wrong this time? _you look away, "I'm sorry, Byakuya-sama," you say, "I don't know what came over me," he tilts your chin so that you're looking at him.

"Not right now," he murmurs, cupping the back of your head and pulling you tightly against him, "not so soon after you were nearly violated in the worst possible way. It would not be right," he brushes his lips across your forehead and you realize him pulling away wasn't a rejection, he was just being a gentleman. "Sleep now," he commanded gently, "Rukia knows what has transpired," you worry what Rukia will say about you kissing her brother. "She also knows how I feel about you," he said, correctly picking up on your troubled gaze, "she more than approves," the disbelief shows on your face and a small smile crosses his lips. You find his smile to be dangerously attractive and try not to swoon. "Sleep _," he says, softer this time. You nod and before you could even consider arguing, your eyes slide closed.


	4. Chapter 4

EPILOGUE

"Come _on __," Rukia drags you to the auditorium. A year has passed since that fateful day, now you and Rukia are graduating. Aizen had been arrested after a police report you filed brought to light a similar case involving a young girl named Momo Hinamori in the next town over. Only her ending wasn't quite as lucky. Loly and Menoly had been expelled for fighting.

As you sit, waiting for your name to be called, you feel an intense stare on you. You can't help but blush. Even after a year of dating, it still feels like the first time you realized how you felt about him, every look makes your skin prickle (in a good way), every touch leaves your skin tingling for days (you often find yourself checking if there's a mark), and you learned just _exactly _what those hands could do…

Pulled from your musings, your name is called. You walk up on stage and accept your diploma. You catch Byakuya's eyes and a small smile crosses his face. You can never see enough of that smile, and the best part was that he only smiled like that for you, and occasionally Rukia. You catch the green eyes of Kushira-senpai, sitting next to a man with long, white hair you assume to be her husband. She winks at you and you smile widely. Maybe you'll keep in touch with her, she's easy to talk to and her advice is usually spot-on. You see Rukia grinning widely and shooting you thumbs up. You respond in kind. There's a reason you're best friends, and you get the feeling that you always will be. As you're walking back to your seat, you look at Byakuya once more. He blinks once, slowly, and you feel your heart flutter as you blink back.

Eventually, everyone throws their hats in the air and proceeds out of the auditorium the way they entered. You catch sight of Byakuya leaving the auditorium and smile to yourself. As you and the other graduates disperse into the crowd to receive their congratulations. Rukia grabs your wrist and pulls you to where Byakuya is waiting with a young man with spiky red hair. He grabs Rukia's hand and with a kiss, pulls her away.

"Congratulations," his voice always sends shivers down your spine, even now.

"Thanks," your eyes flicker. Somewhere along the line, it became a game to see who would cave in first and initiate the kiss. This time, you didn't care about the damn game. You wrap your arms around his neck, his arms wind their way around your waist. You press your lips against his in a demanding kiss. Once his tongue licks softly at your lips, you part them obediently. He slowly, tenderly, draws out each movement, his tongue caressing and overwhelming your mouth. You tighten your grip in his shirt and tilt your head so he has easier access to every inch of your mouth.

Once you pull apart, your face is flushed and, not for the first time, you curse him for being so damn unflappable. The only evidence of the fact he was as affected as you is the slight hazing of his eyes. Your lips feel swollen but you lightly brush them against his again, one other thing you know you will never get tired of?

His kisses.

_A/N: Well, that ended up being longer than expected. Hope you enjoy it…I left 'you' as ambiguous as possible. But I'm pretty sure 'you' crossed Mary-Sue lines a couple times…but is it really a Mary-Sue if it's a ReaderX? Not to mention I don't even __**like **__the canon character I'm writing about._

_Yes, I actually really dislike Byakuya Kuchiki…please don't shoot! *hides in bulletproof box* I dislike him because he's so…blah…granted, I don't even watch or read the anime, but what I've seen of him leaves a lot to be desired (not to mention if I botch his personality, I'd better go take up residence with Dracula 'cause the fangirls are gonna come after me with torches...or is that Frankenstein?). Plus, he's too pretty. There's a line between pretty and too pretty and he crosses it by yards…_

…_yes, I'm jealous that Byakuya Kuchiki prettier than I am._

_Anyways…damn tangents. I wrote this ReaderXByakuya because Byakuya is very popular even if he's not a particular favorite of mine, his character is really hard to capture in a romance setting and I'm not sure I did it justice. I may do a Toshiro one next 'cause I hear he's pretty popular too…don't really like him either. I prefer girls anyways, never could abide by men romantically (yes I'm lesbian not bi…deal with it)_

_I do take requests…all my fics are requests actually (Kushira belongs to my sister and when she requests, I write :P) not just for ReaderXCharacter, although I enjoy those the most because I can focus on getting the canon character's personality right and I can be as ambiguous about 'you' as I so please._

_I can also do OCxCharacter, and on rare occasions CharacterxCharacter ( I don't know if I can do certain ones justice and it's too hard to juggle to canon characters because I get so nitpicky about getting their personalities exactly right). Feel free to request. It will most likely be a one-shot…over 1,000 words, but a one-shot because I don't have a ton of time on my hands. Unless I either really like the character or I can capture his/her personality pretty well. I'm also okay with doing girl/girl and guy/guy…just not certain I can go past T-rated on any fic, be it het or homo. I also REALLY like AU fics…I'm not very familiar with traditional Japanese culture, and that's what I get the feeling Bleach is mostly set in, right? I can manage it, but AU will always be my favorite._

_Sorry, this A/N probably lasted longer than the story…to make it up to you: here, have a cookie. *hands you a cookie*_

_If you have a request, either PM me, or comment on one of my fics, I'll try my hardest to get it done, but I can't make any promises about speed (usually I'm pretty fast though)._

_Ciao,_

_~Deidra_


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